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| Whitaker House |
| Rebecca tours an award-winning house on the shores of Lake Macquarie near Newcastle. |
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When John and Claire Whitaker bought this waterside property, it was home to a simple weatherboard fisherman's cottage. The house they built to replace it is a stark contrast, although they did take inspiration from the original cottage to add character and charm to their new family home.
The house was built by Our Town Constructions and designed by EJE Architecture. It has four bedrooms and bathrooms, a double garage, rumpus room, kitchen, separate living and dining rooms, a powder room, cellar, workshop and renovated boatshed.
The house stretches to the water's edge and has the appearance of a resort. It has two levels, which are linked by internal voids designed to create light and space in the corners of the home.
The design of the house is geometric, consisting of square pyramid pavilions. The main house pavilion is open plan and consists of the living, kitchen and dining rooms. It takes advantage of the easterly lake views, with several walls of large windows opening onto a large, lakeside deck.
The kitchen and guest bedrooms open onto northern split level courtyards. The master bedroom, ensuite and sitting room are upstairs. The main feature of this area is its cathedral style ceiling. There are three dormer style windows designed to replicate the charm of the original cottage as well as capture the extensive views.
Whitaker House has traditional timber framed walls, floors and roof. The garage, courtyards and workshop have concrete floors. Australian Blackbutt hardwood has been used extensively throughout, adding rustic charm to the balustrades, floors and decking. This has been contrasted with stainless steel "rigging" which adds a maritime theme.
Inside, the house is given dimension and texture with the inclusion of a rendered hearth, terrazzo benches and large format tiles. The kitchen and lounge are linked to the courtyards by continuous tiles, blurring the line between inside and out.
A clever aspect of the house is its layout. It was created to reflect the changing weather conditions on the lake. The courtyards are shielded from the cold southerly winds, yet capture the winter sun and funnel it into the bedrooms and kitchen. Louvres can be opened during summer to allow a cool breeze into the home.
The size and unusual shape of the house means it captures the eye of passers by. Its blue exterior also stands out against a backdrop of green shrubs and the lake. With so many windows, the timber frames surrounding these are also a visible feature of the home's exterior.
The Whitaker House won the Menkens Award in the Lower Hunter Civic Design Awards last year.
John and Claire Whitaker are thought to be Newcastle's finest jewellers. The family has been in the jewellery business for 98 years. |
More Info
For more information contact EJE Architecture.
412 King Street
Newcastle NSW 2300
Ph: 02 4929 2353
Fax: 02 4926 3069
E-mail: mail@eje.com.au
www.eje.com.au
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Disclaimer
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